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  • Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

    Berg wins Council District 1

    Voter turnout was just 23 percent in the special election to fill Todd Apo’s seat

    By B.J. Reyes

    POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 30, 2010

    After an unsuccessful run for the state House, Republican legislative aide and tea party activist Tom Berg emerged victorious yesterday in the special election for City Council.

    Berg, 46, will serve the remaining two years on the term vacated by Todd Apo, the former Council chairman who resigned last month to take a job with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Hawai‘i.

    We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

    — U.S. President Bill Clinton
    USA TODAY, page 2A
    11 March 1993

  • #2
    Thumbs up indeed!

    With Rod Tam leaving office, voters were looking for someone to provide some comic relief in council proceedings.
    This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Thumbs up indeed!

      Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
      With Rod Tam leaving office, voters were looking for someone to provide some comic relief in council proceedings.
      Oh, Frankie... had you only known beforehand. You'd be a shoo-in!
      Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
      ~ ~
      Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
      Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
      Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

        Originally posted by TuNnL View Post
        Voter turnout was just 23 percent in the special election to fill Todd Apo’s seat
        Now there's a mandate if I've seen one!
        Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

        People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

          Tom Berg's YouTube Channel
          http://www.youtube.com/user/TBERGHAWAII

          He's a good man with many ideas.
          Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

            Originally posted by TuNnL View Post
            Voter turnout was just 23 percent in the special election to fill Todd Apo’s seat
            Originally posted by matapule View Post
            Now there's a mandate if I've seen one!
            And out of that miniscule 23% voter participation, Berg got a whopping 18%, while his top two opponents effectively split the Democratic/labor vote. In a couple of years, when the seat is up for grabs again through the city's normal "non-partisan" election process, reality will hit Mr. Berg if he's planning a long-term career on the council.
            This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

              Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
              ...In a couple of years, when the seat is up for grabs again through the city's normal "non-partisan" election process, reality will hit Mr. Berg if he's planning a long-term career on the council.
              Yes, you're right...
              And we will see...
              Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                Originally posted by Menehune Man View Post
                Tom Berg's YouTube Channel
                http://www.youtube.com/user/TBERGHAWAII

                He's a good man with many ideas.
                Mahalo, Menehune Man! I hope Tom decides to reach out to other conservatives on the Council like Ikaika Anderson and newly-elected Stanley Chang. Ernie Martin is at least a social conservative, so he may find common ground among the group.

                I would expect Ann Kobayashi to continue her wishy-washy opportunist ways, but she seems to be supporting ultra-liberal Nestor Garcia for now. Tulsi Gabbard-Tamayo is the wild card as she is a card-carrying democrat, but so was former councilman Gary Okino before his very public defection. And we all know Gabbard-Tamayo’s father has a history with jumping ship as well.

                As for the rest of the Democratic old-boy club — Romy Cachola, Breene Harimoto, and Garcia, they could find themselves in the minority when the dust settles. I like what Harimoto did on the BOE, though.

                We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

                — U.S. President Bill Clinton
                USA TODAY, page 2A
                11 March 1993

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                  Here's another youtube channel with various things that Tom is involved in.
                  http://www.youtube.com/user/berginhawaii

                  Here's a TV interview with Tom from 12/30/10.
                  http://www.youtube.com/user/berginha.../0/iLpviiVTUGU
                  Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Tom Berg in the news!

                    No matter what folks think of Tea Party'ers or Republicans, I think Tom Berg is truly trying to clean up Hawaii politics and generally make Hawaii better.

                    "Our State government is overcharging taxpayers by $300 million over the life of the rail surcharge to collect the rail transit tax. This political ploy to profiteer off of taxpayers will shortchange the rail project of $300 million needed for construction at a time when tax collections are down and federal funding for the rail project is less than assured.

                    We can address this looting of the public treasury. On March 28th, the City Council's intergovernmental affairs committee unanimously approved my(TOM BERG'S) resolution (read it HERE) to urge the State Legislature to stop making money off the rail project. I am pleased to report that THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 13TH, AT 8:30AM, the full City Council will be holding a special meeting to send a message to Democrat and Republican legislators that their scheme needs to end. Since 2007, $16 million per year has been skimmed off the top by our State Legislature, which has in turn been using the rail surcharge for neighbor island projects.
                    Link to more info
                    Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                      Makes no sense at all to me. The city agreed to the 10% state skim when the surtax was passed, now they want to nix it. I've got a better idea, let the city nix the whole project, then we won't have to pay any of the GE surtax and the state won't be obligated to take their skim any more either.

                      Besides, why complain about the 10% skim? At least that money is staying in state (Unlike a lion's share of the funds contracted out to produce a rail system - Arrivederci Moolah!).
                      May I always be found beneath your contempt.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                        Originally posted by Menehune Man View Post
                        I think Tom Berg is truly trying to clean up Hawaii politics and generally make Hawaii better.

                        "Our State government is overcharging taxpayers by $300 million over the life of the rail surcharge to collect the rail transit tax. This political ploy to profiteer off of taxpayers will shortchange the rail project of $300 million needed for construction at a time when tax collections are down and federal funding for the rail project is less than assured.

                        We can address this looting of the public treasury. On March 28th, the City Council's intergovernmental affairs committee unanimously approved my(TOM BERG'S) resolution (read it HERE) to urge the State Legislature to stop making money off the rail project. I am pleased to report that THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 13TH, AT 8:30AM, the full City Council will be holding a special meeting to send a message to Democrat and Republican legislators that their scheme needs to end. Since 2007, $16 million per year has been skimmed off the top by our State Legislature, which has in turn been using the rail surcharge for neighbor island projects.
                        Originally posted by salmoned View Post
                        Makes no sense at all to me. The city agreed to the 10% state skim when the surtax was passed, now they want to nix it.
                        Not exactly. The city agreed they did not have the personnel to collect a percentage of General Excise Tax (GET), and therefore agreed to the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) request to keep 10% of the rail tax for “administrative purposes.” Both Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Governor Linda Lingle took issue with this “palm greasing” request during the summer of 2005.

                        Later, it was revealed that DAGS needed barely half of the revenues collected, and in fact, was accumulating a surplus. Thankfully, our judicious members of the local media uncovered this fact, which forced the Lingle Administration to defend her agency. Who knows what would have happened to that money otherwise. The City & County of Honolulu has been demanding the return of these wrongfully allocated funds ever since.

                        We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

                        — U.S. President Bill Clinton
                        USA TODAY, page 2A
                        11 March 1993

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                          Here's a link to the latest news... Go Tom Go!
                          http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/1...tate-lawmakers
                          Check out the video on the righthand side.
                          Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                            Originally posted by TuNnL View Post
                            Not exactly. The city agreed they did not have the personnel to collect a percentage of General Excise Tax (GET), and therefore agreed to the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) request to keep 10% of the rail tax for “administrative purposes.”
                            Not exactly = exactly so!!!??? Everything you state after this quote above is meaningless drivel and you know it, too.
                            May I always be found beneath your contempt.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Hawai‘i Elects Tea Party Candidate!

                              Originally posted by salmoned View Post
                              Not exactly = exactly so!!!??? Everything you state after this quote above is meaningless drivel and you know it, too.
                              Negative. It means plenty. But clearly, you are too clueless to understand it, so I will break it down for you. The state legislature (specifically House Speaker Calvin Say and Senate President Bobby Bunda) tricked the governor, the mayor and the city into believing that they would fix the GET tax collection law to eliminate the 10% skim over the summer — if Ms. Lingle either signed the bill, or allowed it to become law without her signature. As this article indicates, there is reason to believe the 10% skim was just temporary, until the legislature reconvened in a special session.

                              ...Lawmakers have the option of meeting this summer to amend the bill to address Lingle’s objections, but the governor said they also could do it next year in their regular session...

                              (House Speaker Calvin) Say declined to speculate if Democrats in the Legislature would agree to Lingle’s conditions.

                              “I don’t know what is going to happen, but I would be open to some of the proposals she may have,” he said.

                              House Democrats will meet next week to discuss it.

                              Lingle said she wanted the bill changed so “that they will make it not only a county option, but that the county will implement, the county will collect and the county will assess — so the state won’t have any involvement.”

                              Lingle does not like the stipulation that 10 percent of the funds collected by the new tax be given to the state to pay for collecting the tax and sending it to the counties. She said the counties should be responsible for collecting the tax and spending the money.

                              Senate President Robert Bunda expressed some concern about Lingle’s objections but said, “I agree that certain corrections are in order.

                              “The crux of the matter is a change in the bill that would allow the counties to administer and collect the tax themselves, thus allowing the counties to keep 100 percent of the tax increase, less the cost of collection,” said Bunda (D, Kaena-Wahiawa-Pupukea).

                              We will address the governor’s concerns and her specific requests when she presents them to the Legislature next week,” Bunda said.
                              Again — Councilman Tom Berg is just trying to hold the state accountable. If you make a promise, you honor it. Well, maybe not in your world, salmoned. But at least in mine.

                              We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans.

                              — U.S. President Bill Clinton
                              USA TODAY, page 2A
                              11 March 1993

                              Comment

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